Method of making sheet metal containers



Nov. 14, 1944, J. HAYOCK 2,362,817

METHOD OF MAKING SHEET METAL CONTAINERS Filed Sept. 28, 1942 Patented Nov ."14, 1944 2 3 2 17:

t locking before they are assembled;

2;.362; 7 TMETHODOFMAKINGSHEEEE METAL GON-TAIN'ERS.

John Haycock; Larchmorit, N I -Y assignorto' Gontinental CanQompany, Inc., New Mark; .,-.:a corporationof New York..

- Application-September 28, 1942, Serial No. 459,983

t 1 Claim. (01. 1136120) The' invention relates to new "and useful imshaped; ;but .it .is essential that the outer free provements in ashee'tmetal container andmore end portion or each projection shall be wider particularlythe sheet -metal-containershown and in. a direction. longitudinal of the seam than the described in the patent granted 1. W. England neck .poiftilon of the projection which supports and John Haycock, September'28, 1943,'N0;2,330 theseam. 1T,he projections 5 are di e iQ e S0 that when 'theseamis,completedeach projection 'An object oftheinvention'is-toprovideamethwill completely' fill and .make. abutted contact 0d of forming the seam for a sheet metal com with theedge'spof .theoompanion'recess 9. The ,tainer wherein the edgeportions of the body projection .8 is shaped and disposed so'that it blank-are out in order to shape the edge por- 10 will completely fill and make edge contact with tions so that they may be abutted and mechanithe edges of the compan n rece ses 6 between call interlocked, andthe' cut edges brought into the pr j i n 5.5- T e pr j tin por ions 5 intimate contact with each other, immediately are initially curved along a line 93-11! which 6 after which the edges are united by solder'bondtends l u in ly of the se m- This draws i g, the side edge 5b nearer to the side edge 50 and These and other objects will in part be obvieatly f ci i at s t e placing of the projections, ous and will in part be more fully hereinafter. 5 in t ei cor espond ecesses 9. disclo ed, X I In the making of the oan'body the blank is In the drawing, I cut and shaped at its side edge portions to form Figure 1 is a, vi w of a body b1 1; hi h the seam, and immediately thereafter the edge been cut and shaped at the edge portions for portions are brought toget e and t p j t ns forming projections and companion recesses interlocked with the recesses as shown in Figures which may be interlocked; 4 and -5. Then the side seam is subjected to Figure 2 is a side view ofa completed can abumping operation of theusual character. This body; i .25

Figure 3 is a detail on an enlarged scale showing the edge portions cut. and shaped for interinterlocked edge portions on a bumping anvil or horn and the striking of the same with a bumping iron which is shaped to conform to the 3b 1; curvature of the. body so that when the side seam is bumped the cut edges of the projections and the recesses will be brought into intimate Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure l ing the parts assembled ready for bumping; to Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5--5 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a v1 the seam bumped and the cut edges of the prothermore, the curved plane of the interlocked portions will conform to the'cylindrical curvajections and recesses forced into intimate-con- Us tact with each other. i ture of the body.

The invention :as illustrated in the drawing is The interlocked portions, first described d0 applied to the forming of a side seam of a sheet, not extend the complete length of the side seam m t can body, The completed can body is but at each end of the side seam the blanks are dicated at l in Figure 2, andthe side seam join- 40 so shaped as to overlap, as clearly shown in ing the edges thereof is indicated at 2. The

can body is made from a blank of sheet metal portion at the upper end of the seam is indicated indicated at 3 in Figure 1 of the drawing. The at land the inner lapping portion at H. When edge portion 4 of the blank is out so as to prothe seam is bumped, these lapp Portions are vide Series of paced projections 5, 5, B tw n curvedand brought into close contact with each the projecting portions are spaced recesses 6, 6. other. The bumping of the seam causes the The other edge I of the blank is cut so as to proprojecting portions which are initially curved to vide spaced projecting portions 8, 8 between straighten out and make very tight intimate conwhich are recesses 9, 9. tact with the edge portions of the recess in which The projecting portions 5, 5 are wider at their they are disposed. This will firmly hold the edges outer ends than their neck portion 5a which i of the blank interlocked and the lapped portions supports the projection. As shown in the drawin contact preparatory to solder bonding the side ing, the sides and end of each projection are seam. Immediately after the bumping of; the straight Walls meeting at angles. It is obvious side seam the can body is passed through the that these projecting portions may be otherwise soldering mechanism and solder applied to the bumping operation consists in the placing of-the contact, thus producing a mechanical interlock Similar to Figure 5 howing between the edge portions of the can body. Fur- Figures 3 to 6. In Figure 3"the outer lapping side seam for solder bonding the interlocked portions and lapped portions thereof.

It will be noted that the blank is cut so as to provide these interlocking mechanical parts, and immediately the parts are brought together and interlocked. This cutting leaves a, clean-cut edge and the parts are broughttogether and interlocked and the seam bumped before the cut edges will oxidize and produce objectionable scale which interferes with the solder bonding operation. Furthermore, as soon as the seam is bumped it is at once soldered so that the clean intimately contacting metal surfaces will cause the solder applied to the seam to flow by capillary attraction in between the parts and join the metal parts into a, substantially integral structure. i 7

It is further noted that in the finished side scam the mechanically interlocked parts all lie in the curved body of the container and therefore the container may be very readilylacquered or coated with wax or any other desired nonmetallic coating, both inside and outside, and a uniform thickness of coating obtained. When the can body is made up in the manner described above, the ends of the body are flanged in the usual way anda bottom end I2 is secured thereto by double seaming. After filling, a top end I4 may be seamed to the body in the usual way.

I claim:

The method of making a side seam for a sheet metal can body comprising cutting one edge of the body blank so as to provide spaced projecting portions along the edge of the blank which projecting portions are wider at the free ends thereof than at the portion joining the body blank, cutting the other edge of the body blank so as to provide recesses spaced the same as the projections, all edges of the projections and recesses being cut edges, said projections and recesses being shaped so that when the projections are inserted in the recesses the edges of the projections will make intimate contact with the edges of the recesses, curving the projecting portions transversely of the center line thereof so as to reduce the over-all area of the projections to facilitate the insertion of the same in the respective recesses of the other edge portion of the blank placing said curved portions while the edges are freshlycut and free from oxidation in said recesses, bumping the seam so as to straighten out the curvature of the projecting portions and bring said cut edges thereof into intimate contact with the cut edges of the recesses and immediately metal bondin the side seams for hermetically uniting the contacting edges.

JOHN HAYCOCK. 

